UNDP in Montenegro

Five UN agencies in Montenegro under one roof

The First UN Shared Eco Premises in the World

March 2007

Following the official request of the Government of Montenegro through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Montenegro was nominated as the One UN pilot office for 2008. The same year, the construction of the UN Eco Shared Premises is expected to be completed. More importantly, the common premises will enable the UN agencies in Montenegro (IOM, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO and UN consultants) to more effectively channel and coordinate its programmatic activities in the country and assist the Government of Montenegro in achieving its national priorities regarding EU integration process as well as Millennium Development Goals.

About the future UN Eco Building, the first of its kind in the world, designed based on the ecological principles and self-sufficiency in terms of energy, an article was released in the latest A10 magazine for new European architecture#14 march/april 2007.

April 11th 2006 was a very special day for the United Nations System in Montenegro, as signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Montenegro and the Government of Austria in Podgorica set an official frame to fund and create a new, purpose-built common premises for the United Nations agencies operating in this country.

Speaking of UN Eco Building Project at the signing ceremony, Minister of Foreign Affairs Miodrag Vlahović said: "The Project of new Eco Building represents a new way of modern communication with the rest of the world  and it will contribute to improved cooperation with all UN Agencies. This project is a confirmation of permanent and essential commitment to sustainable, ecological, cultural and political development in Montenegro. The new UN Eco-Building will be a modern, original and non-typical solution which best reflects positive efforts of Municipality Podgorica to build a new and modern European city."

 

The Memorandum of Understanding represents a contribution to the realization of the Agreement »Ecologically Efficient Building« which was signed in April 2005 in Podgorica between the Government of Austria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, the Municipality Podgorica and the University of Montenegro.

Ambassador of Austria Gerhard Jandl pointed up two aspects of this project: the building will consume small amounts of energy turning it in this way towards future in this way, and the other one refers to transfer of knowledge and specialized lectures at the University of Montenegro as an opportunity for young architects to gain new knowledge and skills.

 

Lance Clark, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in SCG: These common premises are an integral part of the reforms and strengthening that the United Nations is undergoing around the world.  The range of issues and actions that the UN is involved in has led to the creation of many different UN agencies and institutions.  Now, the challenge is to bring these agencies back in a much closer common working relationship – with greater unity of purpose and coordination of programming, with greater agility and speed in responding to needs, and with greater efficiency and effectiveness in meeting these needs.  And without a doubt, there is no more effective way of creating these benefits, than to put all of the United Nations agencies under one roof, in one common UN premises.

 

The process officially started in 2002, with the request of the United Nations to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and to the Mayor of Podgorica, asking for their support for UN common premises. This idea soon grew beyond just a building, to using this building itself to be a concrete example of the commitment in the Montenegrin Constitution itself, for Montenegro to be an Ecological state. Thus in 2003, the Government of Montenegro, the Mayor of Podgorica, and the Austrian Development Agency, agreed to support this undertaking. In 2004, Mayor of Podgorica Dr Miomir Mugosa, donated a valuable piece of property on a prime site, and agreed to waive all taxes and connection fees.Then, in 2005, the Austrian Development Agency funded and organized an Architectural Competition in Innsbruck for the design of these premises, for which the final judging took place in January 2006.

Mr Georg Pendl, President of the Architectural Jury

The Architects from the Austrian Development Agency Daniel Fügenschuh and Kirstin Rogge see the new UN Eco Building as to be set into the landscape as low and flat as possible, in order to make natural extension to the Millennium bridge landmark.

UN Eco Building Project presentation (1,300 KB)
Daniel Fügenschuh - Technical Drawings (1,700 KB)

Consulting Mechanical Engineers for this project are King Shaw Associates - Consulting Engineers

The project on promotion of sustainable building principles in the example of construction of the United Nations building in Podgorica is carried out by NGO Expeditio www.un-ecobuilding.info